Folding leg



Feb. 1l, 1930. D. F. DYKE 1,746,823

FOLDING LEG Original Filed July 9, 1925 Patented Feb. 11, 1930 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFECE DARRELL F. DYKE, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA,ASSIGNOR TO KROEHLER MFG. C0.,l

F NAPERVILLE, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS FOLDING LEGApplication led July 9, 1925, Serial No. 42,375. Renewed December 30,1929.

This invention relates particularly to a folding leg construction fordavenport beds but of course may have a more general use Whereverapplicable. The principal object of the invention is to provide asupporting leg structure of this kind which may be attached at the endsof a moving or foldable seat frame in such a manner that the leg Will befolded within the space defined by the ends of the seat frame before theseat frame itself is folded within the davenport frame. A further objcctis to brace the foldable leg in its extended position. Further objectswill appear hereinafter.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a folding seat structureto which the legI comprising this invention is attached; Fig. 2 is asectional plan of the parts shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged outerview of a leg in extended position; Fig. 4 is a section taken on theline 4 4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 illustrates the leg in closed position; andFig. 6 is a section taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5, showing the leg inclosed position.

In the folding leg commonly employed in davenport beds, the leg projectsbeyond the end of the seat frame so that it is necessary to leave anobjectionable space between the seat frame and the end frame of thedav'en- 3O port in order to fold the leg therein without undue Contactwith the inner side of the davenport end frame. The present inventionovercomes this objection by providing a pivoted and sliding leg mountedat the end of the seat frame in such a manner that the outer face of theleg is flush with the end of the seat frame or is actually within theconlines of the end of the seat frame so that there is no danger of theleg scratching the end frame of the davenport or comingin Contact withit in folding and unfolding the seat frame and the folding bed structureof a davenport bed.

Referring more particularly to the draw- 45 ings, a davenport bed end isrepresented by numeral 1 in which is foldable an articular metal bedframe 2, the particular construction of which is immaterial for thepurposes of this invention; the bed davenport Coir- 5@ prises a frame 3for an upholstered seat Which is invertible in front of the davenportframe upon a hinge construction mounted behind a front board 4 of thedavenport frame upon a hinge construction pivoted in a plate 5 securedto the davenport frame. The hinge comprises a plurality of pivotalconnected links 4, 5, 6 and 7 connected to each other to the plate 5 andto a seat bracket 8, the hinge construction also supporting the innerside o'f the seat frame 3 when in its inverted position.

The folding leg construction comprises a plate 9 adapted to be securedby one edge to the inside of the seat frame 3 and having an offset 10therein which rests upon the upper edge of the seat frame in itsinverted position, the ledge formed by the offset being graduated inwidth from front to back, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2. The extendingportion of the plate is formed with slots 11 and 12 each having astraight part for a portion of its length and an irregular or curvedportion at the inner end thereof. A leg 13 has headed projections 14 and15 secured thereto and slidable in the slots 11 and 12, and immediatelybelow the portion to Which the headed rivets or projections are attachedis an offset 16 which extends the lower portion of the leg over theadjacent outer edge of the seat frame 3, as shown more clearly in Fig.4.

On the inner side of the leg is another headed projection 17 which isadapted to be engaged in a central recess 18 of a substantiallysemicircular metal bracket plate 19 attached to the outer side of theseat frame 3 in a position to engage the projection 17.

Connecting the leg 13 and one of the hinge links 4 is a leg operatinglink 2O which may be secured to the leg by means of the headedprojections 14.

In operation the opening of the davenport bed by overturning the seatcauses a longitudinal movement of the headed projections 14 and 15 ofthe folding leg 13 in their respective slots 11 and 12 and when the seatis almost reached the limit of its overturning movement, the irregularportions of the slots 11 and 12 cause a swinging movement of the leginto supporting position. At this time the headed projection 17 engagesthe recess of the supporting plate 19 and the leg is held firmly in itsposition. In order to fold the leg the seat frame is raised whichoperates the link 2() because of its differential relation to the hingelinks, and the leg is lirst disengaged from the plate 19, then .rotatedat right angles -to its supporting position With respect to the frame,and then moved longitudinally parallel with the frame until it assumesthe folded position as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. As the plate 9 isinclined toward the outer end of the seat frame 3, its closing movementWill cause the leg to be drawn in so that its outer surface vis flushWith the outer end of the seat frame 3, or it may even be within theconfines of this end of theseat frame.

With this construction it is apparent that the leg will |be folded andunfolded automatically and there will be no danger ofthe leg engaging'the end frame of a davenport to prevent the :folding and unfoldingoperation of the seat frame, nor will there be any danger of the legconstruction engaging and scratching or tearing the construction of thedavenport end frames.

I claim:

l. The combination with a movable seat frame, vof a folding legstructure attached to the frame including a slotted plate inclined tothe end of the frame, and a leg having projections engaged by the slotsof the plate and thereby guided from a position Within .the conlines ofthe frame as the seat frame is moved to an extending position projectingfrom the edge of the frame for supporting the frame in open position,and means to move the leg relatively to the .plate as the seat frame ismoved.

2. A davenport bed having a seat frame-invertible from a position Withinthe davenport frame to an extended position in front thereof, hingemechanism for mounting the seat in the frame, and a folding legstructure mounted on the under side of the seat frame including aslotted plate inclined 'to the plane of the end of the seat, the leghaving means movably connecting it to the slots in the plate, and meansoperatively connecting it to the hinge mechanism whereby the movement ofthe seat will move the leg relative to the plate to project the leg froma position Within the edge of the seat frame to a position overlying theedge of the seat frame for supporting it in open position.

3. The combination with a davenport frame, of a seat frame movabletherein, hinge mechanism upon which the seat frame is mounted in theother frame, a folding leg structure attached to the under side of theseat frame and including a slotted plate inclined to the end of the seatframe, the leg having means forming a connection with the hingemechanism and having means movably engaging the slots in the plate andmovable from a position parallel to and below the under side of the seatto aposition at right angles thereto extending over the edge of the seatfor supporting it in open position, and means for moving the legrelative to the plate.

fl. A folding leg structure comprising a plate with slots therein, aportionof the slots being parallel and adjacent ends having irregularportions, a leg member having projections slidable in the slots andmeans for moving vthe leg with Arespect to the slots whereby it isturned by the irregular portion of the slots to a position at rightangles from that Which it occupies when the projections are inengagement With the parallel portions of the slots.

5. A leg construction comprising a plate having slots andfadapted to beset at an angle' at the edge of a frame which the leg is to support, aleg member having projections t0 guide it in the slots of the plate, theslots having parallel and irregular portions and the movement of theprojections in the slots turning the leg substantially at right anglesand projecting it laterally according to the incline of the plate andmeans to move the leg member relative to the plate.

6. The combination with a seat frame, of a supporting leg structuretherefor, the leg structure comprising a plate attached to the inneredge of the seat frame having :slots therein and extending at an anglewith respect to the edge but With-in the end of the seat frame, a `leg=member having projections engaging in the lslots .and guided therebyfrom a position parallel `with the edge ofthe seat frame and Within theplane of the outer edge thereof toa position :at right angles theretoand projecting across the edge of the seat `trame and means for movingthe leg member relative to the plate.

7. The combination with a movable frame, of a supporting leg `thereforcomprising a movable leg member and ymeans for mounting the leg =to movefrom Aa position parallel to and Within the edge of the frame to aposition at right angles thereto and extending across the edge of theframe, and a bracket attached to the end of the frame having a recesstherein, the leg member having a projection adapted to hook into therecess of the bracket when the leg is in its extended position forholding it more securely in place, and unhook therefrom by the reversemovement of the leg.

' DARRELL F. DYKE.

